International Multidisciplinary Young Researcher’s Seminar (Hybrid Mode)

on

Planet, Text and Context: Perspectives on Ecology

Organised by

PG Department of English & Research and Development Cell

In collaboration with

IQAC

Surya Sen Mahavidyalaya, Siliguri, India

5th April, 2025

Concept Note

When the Earth was photographed from the Voyager 1 space probe, it appeared as a tiny dot, which inspired Sagan to write his book Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space (1994). Earth’s history predates that of human beings, and besides our species, it harbours all forms of life. Like every other planet in the universe, “our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark,” Sagan reminds us, “like it or not, for the moment, the Earth is where we make our stand” (1997, 13). However, viewing Earth as a ‘planet’ rather than a ‘globe’ is a recent phenomenon. When we speak of the planet, we perceive all human beings and other life forms alike, contrasting with the history of the globe, where the narrative revolves around humans. However, in recent centuries, due to rapid technocentric development, particularly following the Industrial Revolution, humans have become the primary agents of geological change, unlike any other species that lived concurrently. Phenomena such as climate change and global warming result from anthropocentric activities. Thus, atmospheric chemist Paul J. Crutzen and limnologist Eugene F. Stoermer, highlighting the impacts of humans as a geophysical force, proposed a new geological era called the Anthropocene. The term Anthropocene views all humans as a homogeneous group, referred to as ‘we,’ which ignites a debate among social science scholars who emphasise anthropological differences related to caste, class, race, and gender, as well as caste in certain contexts. What happens when a climate catastrophe or planetary crisis, such as a tsunami or an earthquake, hits the planet? Who becomes the first victims of such events? What happens in the Anthropocene to all other non-human beings, animals and other biotic communities who have been silenced throughout the history of humankind, vis-à-vis human history? What kind of future awaits us if we persist in extracting natural resources and indulging in deforestation under the guise of progress while ignoring the impacts on climate? The conference, seeking answers to these questions, aims to explore the relationship between the planet and all animate beings in various texts, and we encourage submissions that engage with multidisciplinary perspectives on environmental issues within the current context of the planetary crises.

Abstracts for presentation are invited from research scholars and undergraduate and postgraduate students. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Planet and the Anthropocene
• Planet and Extinction Studies
• Climate Change and Planetary Crises
• Indigenous Communities in the Anthropocene
• Carbon Footprints of Humans
• Future of the Planet
• Sustainability and Habitability
• Planet and Neocolonialism
• Animal Studies in the Anthropocene
• Human-Nonhuman Relationships

Keynote Speaker: Dr Roslyn Irving, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany

Plenary Speaker I: Dr Indrajit Roy Chowdhury, University of North Bengal, India

Plenary Speaker II: Dr Somasree Sarkar, Ghoshpukur College, University of North Bengal, India

Last date for submission of abstracts: 25th March, 2025

Notification of the acceptance of the abstract: 28th March, 2025

Link for abstract submission: https://forms.gle/2cZD65LNu47GekKEA

Conference Registration Fee

Research scholars: INR 500

Graduate students: INR 300

Home students: INR 200

International Presenters: Waived

Submission guidelines:

Send the abstract of the proposed paper in Times New Roman and 12 font.

Word limit: 300 words

Provide at least four keywords and a short bio-note of 50 words.

Kindly follow MLA 9th edition for formatting and citation.

Coordinator: Agnibha Maity, Asst. Prof. of English (Mgmt.), Surya Sen College (agnibha_maity@suryasencollege.org.in)